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WHSmith Reviews
Updated Nov 29, 2023
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Found 1,859 of over 2K reviews
49% Recommend to a Friend
68% Approve of CEO
Found 1,852 of over 2K reviews
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Carl Cowling
156 Ratings
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Top Review Highlights by Sentiment
Excerpts from user reviews, not authored by Glassdoor
Pros
Cons
- "Minimum wage and a lot of understaffing; so people are often expected to work alone for long periods of time." (in 58 reviews)
Ratings by Demographics
This rating reflects the overall rating of WHSmith and is not affected by filters.
- 2.0Nov 29, 2023Customer ServiceFormer Employee, less than 1 yearManchester, England
Pros
I don't really have any.
Cons
If you are under 21, you will be paid a few pence more than minimum wage, Whilst older colleagues will get a rate of pay considered normal/ low in the industry.
- 3.0Nov 27, 2023BaristaFormer Employee, less than 1 yearBishops Stortford, England
Pros
- Easy - Local - Good Management - Feel supported within the company
Cons
- long shift hours - minimum wage
- 3.0Nov 25, 2023Sales AssistantCurrent Employee, more than 1 yearHeathrow, England
Pros
Good management, good staff to work with
Cons
Staff are usually late meaning we have to wait for them until we leave
- 3.0Nov 21, 2023Team LeaderCurrent EmployeeNorthampton, England
Pros
Ok pay, good with hours, boss worked around any issues with rota
Cons
Poor management No progress No value
- 5.0Nov 20, 2023Designated ProfessionalCurrent Employee, less than 1 year
Pros
Culture, Well-being, Inclusion, Direction of buisness.
Cons
You need a growth mindset to be as fast growing business - so people with this come onboard!
WHSmith Response2wHi there, Thank you for taking the time to leave your 5 star review. We love hearing from current staff! It's great to hear about your recent experience with us. Our global business is growing and we are lucky to have teams which are constantly contributing their ideas and skills. It's an exciting time for us and hopefully your feedback will encourage other candidates to come and join us and experience what you have. The WHSmith Team
- 1.0Nov 14, 2023Assistant BuyerFormer Employee, more than 1 yearLas Vegas, NV
Pros
Pride themselves on “flexible time off” but not offered to all employees and time off is discouraged.
Cons
Pay is terrible with no growth opportunity. HR said the development plans were taken away bc “employee growth isn’t part of the strategy”. Zero work life balance. Fired after family emergency. Constant turnover and short staffing at both HQ and in the field. Office politics are intense, micromanagers, and no company culture. Blame culture really high across teams and departments.
- 5.0Nov 13, 2023Anonymous EmployeeCurrent Employee, more than 3 yearsSwindon, Wiltshire, South West England, England
Pros
Flexible, good training, progressive, ambitous, international growth with opportunities for those seeking new challenges.
Cons
Systems a bit slow and Swindon office a bit dowdy still, although some improvements made.
WHSmith Response3wHi there, Thank you for taking the time to leave your valuable feedback. Great to hear about your experience so far! We are an expanding global business with endless opportunities for career progression for new candidates and current staff. Not many people are aware of all of our business areas and brands which provide many different types of roles in retail. We have a number of support centres and we look to make improvements on a regular basis where we can to ensure our teams are comfortable. The systems have been a priority this year as well as our regular review of pay and benefits as you mentioned. This year we introduced our partnership with the Retail Trust and it has been welcomed by our teams. Thanks again for your review. The WHSmith Team.
- 2.0Nov 11, 2023Marketing ManagerFormer Employee, more than 3 yearsSwindon, Wiltshire, South West England, England
Pros
Location but no hybrid allowed
Cons
Old school retail from last century
WHSmith Response3wHi there, Thank you for taking the time to leave your comments. We value hearing from our former staff so that we can continuously improve. As a global business we have a number of support centres which allows for our people to cut down on their travel time into work. We do have a hybrid working policy for our support centre staff depending upon the role to ensure we help our teams maintain a good work life balance. We pride ourselves in being the hub of the UK High Street but with our expansion into the travel market in the UK and globally with new brands and partnerships that has given us the opportunity to become more than just old school retail. We wish you luck in your new role. The WHSmith Team.
- 5.0Nov 10, 2023Team LeaderCurrent Employee, less than 1 yearHeathrow, England
Pros
Maintain Good Fluidity to run business more smoothly
Cons
You can forget about promotions
WHSmith Response3wHi there, Thank you for leaving your 5 star review! We love hearing from our current staff so that we can continuously improve. Our travel arm of the business is fast paced and our teams work well together to ensure the smooth running of all our stores and formats. As a company we have a number of business areas and brands which means that we have many roles available for candidates to apply for including our current staff. Please do keep an eye out on our careers website for your next step in your career journey with us! The WHSmith Team
- 5.0Nov 9, 2023Service Delivery ManagerFormer EmployeeLondon, England
Pros
Great people and working environment
Cons
Pay is low compared to elsewhere
WHSmith Response3wHi there, Thank you for taking the time to leave your comments! Great to hear you had such a positive experience working with us. In answer to note about pay, we do review benefits and pay on a regular basis to ensure we remain competitive and ensure that we improve upon our offering whenever we can. Thank you again for leaving your review. The WHSmith Team
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WHSmith Reviews FAQs
WHSmith has an overall rating of 3.3 out of 5, based on over 1,962 reviews left anonymously by employees. 49% of employees would recommend working at WHSmith to a friend and 42% have a positive outlook for the business. This rating has improved by 5% over the last 12 months.
49% of WHSmith employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews. Employees also rated WHSmith 3.3 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.0 for culture and values and 2.9 for career opportunities.
According to reviews on Glassdoor, employees commonly mention the pros of working at WHSmith to be career development, culture, management and the cons to be workplace, benefits.
